A substrate processing apparatus includes a base plate, an upper plate on the base plate, a DC power supply configured to supply power to the upper plate, and a controller interconnecting the upper plate and the DC power supply. The upper plate includes a first electrode, and a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode. The controller includes a first controller interconnecting the first electrode and the DC power supply, and a second controller interconnecting the second electrode and the DC power supply. The DC power supply is configured to apply a first voltage to the first electrode via the first controller, and configured to apply a second voltage to the second electrode via the second controller. The first voltage and the second voltage are different.

Provided is a cleaning apparatus and a cleaning method for semiconductor wafers that can hinder a mist of a cleaning solution from being adhered to a surface of a semiconductor wafer during cleaning of the semiconductor wafer. In a cleaning apparatus 1 for a semiconductor wafer, a spin cup 20 has an annular side wall portion 21; an inclined portion 22 that is inclined toward the rotating table 13; and an annular bent portion 23. The height position h.sub.21 of the upper end portion 21c of the side wall portion 21 is set at a position lower than the height position h.sub.14a of the upper end portion 14a of the wafer retainer portion 14, and the inclination angle θ.sub.22 of the inclined portion to a horizontal plane and the width w of the inclined portion satisfy a formula (A):

θ.sub.22(°)≥−0.65×w (mm)+72.9°  (A)

The present invention is a method for controlling flatness of a wafer including the steps of: providing a holding member having a holding surface including a plurality of segments, where each of the plurality of segments includes a dry adhesive fiber structure; making the holding surface of the holding member adhere to a wafer to make the holding member hold the wafer; obtaining information on flatness of the wafer by measuring flatness of the wafer to; and releasing adhesion of the dry adhesive fiber structures to the wafer in a part of the plurality of segments of the holding surface of the holding member based on the information on flatness. This can provide: a method for controlling flatness by which flatness of a wafer can be controlled sufficiently.

Described are electrostatic chucks that are useful to support a workpiece during a step of processing the workpiece, the electrostatic chuck including embossments that are made of multiple deposited layers, the layers including diamond-like carbon layers and layers that contain silicon-based materials such as silicon carbide layers.

According to one embodiment, a substrate supporting apparatus includes a mounting plate that is configured by including ceramics and has a mounting surface on which the substrate is to be mounted; a power supply plate that is built in the mounting plate and electrostatically attracts the substrate to the mounting plate; a plurality of protruding portions which internally includes an electrically conductive member respectively, is arranged on at least a central region and outer edge region of the mounting plate, and protrudes from the mounting surface; and a plurality of elastic members which is embedded in the mounting plate to correspond to the plurality of protruding portions, supports the plurality of protruding portions while protruding the protruding portions from the mounting surface, and electrically connects the power supply plate and the electrically conductive members included in the plurality of protruding portions to each other.

A semiconductor wafer carrier structure is provided. The semiconductor wafer carrier structure includes a susceptor and a patterned heat conduction part disposed on the susceptor. At least a portion of the patterned heat conduction part has a different heat conduction coefficient than the susceptor. A metal-organic chemical vapor deposition equipment is also provided. The metal-organic chemical vapor deposition equipment includes a carrier body having a plurality of carrier units. The above semiconductor wafer carrier structure is placed in at least one of the carrier units.

Exemplary semiconductor processing chambers may include a chamber body. The chambers may include a showerhead. The chambers may include a substrate support. The substrate support may include a platen characterized by a first surface facing the showerhead. The substrate support may include a shaft coupled with the platen along a second surface of the platen opposite the first surface of the platen. The shaft may extend at least partially through the chamber body. A coating may extend conformally about the first surface of the platen, the second surface of the platen, and about the shaft.

The invention relates to a support pin (10) for supporting a substrate (80) in a placement area of a placement machine (100) and a placement machine (100) with at least one placement head (101), a magazine (104) with a plurality of such support pins (10) and a placement board (103).

A semiconductor wafer carrier structure includes a carrier body having a surface; a protective film covering the surface; a susceptor disposed on the carrier body; and a patterned coating film on the susceptor, wherein the patterned coating film has two or more different thicknesses, wherein patterns of the patterned coating film are symmetrically distributed with respect to a center of the susceptor.

A heat treatment susceptor holds a substrate when the substrate is irradiated with a flash of light from flash lamps to perform a heat treatment on the substrate. The heat treatment susceptor includes: a holding plate having a planar holding surface; and a plurality of substrate support bodies mounted upright on the holding surface, wherein a slit is formed around a position where at least one of the substrate support bodies is mounted upright in the holding plate, and the slit includes at least one bending portion or a corner portion.